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Creole Seasoning and Its Uses

by Wayne Wargo (PenWay.org)

Life in the United States is influenced by the culture, traditions and customs of immigrants from many countries. This influence is also seen in, and has become an integral part of, the way American citizens eat and cook. Creole and Cajun cuisines, for example, both originated in Louisiana but have now influenced styles of cooking all across the U.S. So it’s not surprising that when most people hear the word Creole or the word Cajun, they instantly think of New Orleans.

Although, after centuries of migration of people from different countries and of various heritage (white aristocrats and black African slaves, as an example) to Louisiana, the word “Creole” has come to mean ethnically mixed, the original Creoles were French, and later, Spanish nationals who were born in Louisiana.

Creole cuisine combines classic European cooking procedures with ingredients and cultural elements both indigenous to Louisiana and all over the world (France, Spain, Italy, Africa, Latin America, and others).Creoles use a roux as a thickening base for some dishes (as do the Cajuns, but a Creole roux is not usually cooked until it becomes as dark). Both cuisines rely on the so-called “holy trinity” of sautéed chopped bell peppers, onions, and celery. The Creoles, however, use more cream and butter in preparing their sauces, and many dishes are spicy – but not generally as spicy-hot as Cajun dishes. Because the two cooking styles have become so intermixed, this rule doesn’t always apply, and therefore some Creole dishes can be extremely hot and spicy. Spanish influences added tomatoes to Creole cuisine, but naturally, over time, these have been adopted by the Cajuns as well, and so are now an integral part of both styles of cooking.

Although Cajun and Creole food (both Louisiana cuisines) are frequently confused, Cajun dishes tend to be more one-pot, home-cooking style, highly spiced meals, while Creole dishes are often more elaborate, based on upper-class European cuisine, with complex sauces and served in multiple courses.

Both the Creoles and the Cajuns prepare a similar dish known as "gumbo", a soupy stew that is popular with both cultures. This dish generally contains an ingredient typical of Louisiana cooking: okra. This mucilaginous vegetable was brought to the U.S. from Africa. The African word for okra is "gombo" or "gumbo". Dried sassafrass leaves, contributed by the local native American Indians, are often used in the preparation of gumbo and in both cooking styles as a thickening agent.

As with Cajun and many other styles of cooking, busy people today have come to depend on various seasoning mixes when preparing food. Using seasoning mixes provides a convenient way to expand the variety of flavors added to their food, without spending hours in the kitchen.

Creole seasoning mixes typically contain ingredients such as black pepper, garlic, onion, thyme, celery, parsley, and bay leaves, as well as the ever-present cayenne pepper that adds that distinctive spicy touch that Louisiana dishes are renowned for.

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